Residential and Commercial Inspection

Inspect with Confidence, Not Guesswork

The residential and commercial inspection industry includes professionals such as certified lead inspectors and risk assessors, home inspectors, contractors, renovation firms, and non-destructive testing (NDT) technicians who evaluate the safety and structural condition of buildings before renovation, sale, occupancy, or ongoing maintenance work. This includes regulatory lead-paint inspection under HUD and EPA rules, and non-destructive x-ray imaging used to see inside walls before any demolition or renovation begins.

Why are K-Shell XRF and Handheld X-ray Imagers key for inspection

Lead-in-Paint Inspection: HUD and EPA Requirements

Lead-based paint remains one of the most heavily regulated hazards in residential and commercial buildings, particularly in housing built before 1978, when lead-based paint was banned for residential use. Both HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule and EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule are federally established guidelines for testing residential housing paint for risk assessment.

Non-Destructive Testing: Backscatter X-Ray Imaging Before Opening a Wall

Contractors, renovation firms, and building engineers increasingly use backscatter x-ray imaging as a non-destructive testing (NDT) method to see inside a wall cavity before any demolition begins allowing an inspector to identify what’s hidden inside a wall including studs, pipes, electrical wiring, ductwork, or structural framing before a single cut is made.

Featured Products

Raven™

Introducing RAVEN: Handheld “Smart” X-ray Imager

The Raven handheld imager provides outstanding mobility, enhancing threat detection across various environments. Its lightweight and ergonomic design optimizes user efficiency, while its advanced imaging technology, multifunctional detection capabilities, and AID Toolset facilitate the rapid identification of concealed threats. The Raven is an essential asset for mobile security operations.

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Pb200e™

Pb200e™

Pb200e Handheld XRF Lead Paint Analyzer | HUD/EPA Compliant Lead-Based Paint Testing

The Viken Detection PB200e is the gold standard in handheld XRF for HUD/EPA compliant lead paint testing with thousands already in use by public housing authorities, city/state municipalities, Pb-based paint certified inspectors and abatement professionals.

Purpose-built for HUD Lead-based Paint Inspection

Everything about Pb200e is designed around one job: giving property owners and landlords, contractors and home buyers an accurate, defensible answer about lead-based paint on their property.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the legal threshold for "lead-based paint" under HUD and EPA rules?

Under HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule, paint is classified as lead-based if it contains lead equal to or exceeding 1.0 mg/cm².

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How does XRF testing work, and does it damage the painted surface?

An XRF analyzer can tell you whether lead paint is present in seconds, without damaging the surface. K-Shell XRF can further identify the presence of Pb paint buried under decades of additional paint surfaces.

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Why would a contractor scan a wall before demolition instead of just opening it up?

Scanning first lets a contractor identify the location of studs, pipes, and electrical wiring before cutting, drilling, or demolishing a wall reducing the risk of damaging plumbing, striking a live wire, or cutting into load-bearing framing, and avoiding the cost of unplanned repairs caused by blind demolition.

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Does lead-based paint inspection apply to commercial buildings, or only residential housing?

HUD and EPA lead-based paint rules are primarily focused on residential housing since these are the properties most associated with childhood lead exposure risk. Commercial buildings can still be subject to lead-paint considerations under OSHA’s lead-in-construction standard when renovation or demolition work disturbs painted surfaces.